Church Weekly
07 Nov 2021

CHURCH WEEKLY

PRAISING THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST

Dear Members in Christ,

Praising the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost

Beloved members and friends, another year is coming to a close, and we direct our thoughts to giving thanks and praises to the Almighty God. The Bible reveals to us the nature of the Triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Apostle John states this clearly in his epistle, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7). The church through the centuries has expressed praise to God by directing their doxology to all three Persons of the Holy Trinity. The following article was written for the seminar entitled “Biblical Worship” which was conducted in Calvary Jaya about two years ago. This tells us about the history and the origins of this doxology with which we sing our praise to the Triune God in our worship services.

The Gloria Patria in Church History - Theology in the Doxology

In the span of Church History, many examples of the doxology exist. A common doxology sung in Bible Presbyterian churches is the “Gloria Patria.” The “Gloria Patria” is also called the Trinitarian doxology and it is usually sung after the invocation in a worship service. This doxology is also used by many churches of various denominations such as Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, Reform Baptists, etc. in their respective worship. The title of this doxology is known by its opening line “Glory be to the Father” or a shortened name is “Glory be.” It is also called the Lesser Doxology, the greater being the “Gloria in Excelsis Deo” (Glory to God in the Highest from Luke 2:14). The early forms in Greek and Latin suggest that the Gloria Patria may have been in use in church liturgy pre-dating the Reformation, and continues to be in use today.

In old English, the Gloria Patria was translated as:

Glory [be] to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, and now, and always, and into the ages of ages. Amen.

The phrase rendered as "ages of ages," was likely to be an idiom, translated from the Latin phrase "In saecula saeculorum", or via Koine Greek, meaning "forever." It is also rendered "world without end" in contemporary English. This is also an expression found in King James’ Authorised Version of the Bible in Ephesians 3:21 and Isaiah 45:17. The phrase exalts and magnifies God and ascribes eternal praise and glory to the Triune Godhead.

The Gloria Patria sung in churches in the present-day worship reads as:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

The praise of God in the Gloria Patria attributes praise to the Triune God. Why is this attribute of God specifically mentioned in the doxology? An observation is that most of the doxologies cited in the New Testament are often attributed to God the Father and through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, for example in Romans 16:27. Or in some instances, the doxological praise is attributed to both God the Father and the Son. The reason is that there was a theological debate (called the Arian controversy) about the nature of the Trinity within the early church. In the fourth century, the church resolved this controversy. From thence, when the doctrine of the Trinity became clear to the church, and this started to shape the prayers and doxology in the church. The Trinitarian doctrine establishes the nature of the Trinity, the coeternal attribute of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that the three Persons are distinct, yet of one essence.

Theology is central in worship, nowhere is it more apparent in the singing of the Trinitarian Doxology. Scripture bears record of the epiphany of the Trinity Godhead in Matthew 3:16, 17 where it was recorded that as the Father spoke to His beloved Son, the Holy Spirit was seen descending upon Him. The witness of the Trinity was also stated in the earlier reference – 1 John 5:7. It explicitly states the Trinity as witnesses in heaven of God’s salvation plan through the Son of God. While we give thanks to God in our worship services, the singing of the Trinitarian doxology identifies and praises the Trinity Godhead. It puts to rest any heretical teachings about Unitarianism or the modern-day cults which imbibe these teachings. The singing of the Gloria Patria leads the worshipper to meditate upon the wonders of the Triune Godhead. The love of God the Father in sending His Son, the ministry of the Lord Jesus and His atoning work, and the sanctifying and sustaining work of the Holy Spirit in the worshipper’s life. It gives cause for contemplation upon our gratuitous response in worship. Brothers and Sisters, as we gather for worship weekly, let us be mindful of the words of this doxology. The Triune God is active in every step of our lives, our salvation, our sanctification and our perseverance till we see the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ. May our praises be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In Christ,

Dn. Lim Seh Beng